UN Special Observer John Dugard has called on the UN to withdraw its membership of the Middle East Quartet group (EU, US, UN, Russia) in protest of the humanitarian situation in Gaza, Judea and Samaria. Well known for his bias against Israel, Dugard has previously stated in his reports that terrorist assassinations in Gaza are a constant reminder to Palestinians that they remain under Israeli occupation, despite the disengagement in 2005. He also criticized Israel's construction of the barrier calling it a land grab, and has accused Israeli settlers of terrorizing Palestinian school children and destroying olive orchards. Following the kidnapping of Corporal Gilad Shalit last July, Israel arrested dozens of Hamas legislators, to which Dugard responded that Israel was in breach of the Geneva conventions of hostage taking. Today Dugard accused the IDF of seeking to divide Judea and Samaria into cantons through roadblocks, and slammed the international community for isolating the Hamas terror government.

Quote: ""In my most recent report to the General Assembly...I will suggest that the secretary general withdraw the UN from the Quartet, if the Quartet fails to have regard to the human rights situation in the Palestinian territories," Dugard said. Dugard, who is due to present the report next month, could not immediately be reached for comment. The South African, who has served in the independent post since 2001, said Israel Defense Forces checkpoints in the occupied West Bank were meant to divide the territory into "cantons" and "make the life of Palestinians as miserable as possible".

Meanwhile pressure is mounting on Israel and the Palestinians to ensure the upcoming international peace conference is hailed as a success. European Union leaders have urged Israel and the Palestinian Authority not to squander the opportunity for peace that would be created as a result of the meeting at Annapolis. During a meeting in Brussels, the EU Foreign Ministers called on Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to begin a dialogue that would lead to final status negotiations and the goal of a two-state solution. US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice went one step further, insisting that the joint-declaration address core issues such as the division of Jerusalem, and stating "it is time for the establishment of a Palestinian state".

Quote: "The Europeans urged Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to use the gathering to start a dialogue "leading to meaningful final status negotiations and to their shared goal of a two-state solution" that would see an independent, democratic Palestinian state living side by side in peace with Israel. On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza, visiting Israel and the Palestinian areas, said U.S. President George W. Bush has decided to make ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "one of the highest priorities of his administration." She said a peace conference must be serious and substantive. "We frankly have better things to do than invite people to Annapolis for a photo op," she added. "Frankly, it's time for the establishment of a Palestinian state." 

In the eyes of the world, the US and EU are simply trying to nudge Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the right direction. The nations believe that solving this issue between Judaism and Islam will help bring about peace in the region, if not the rest of the world. This is what former British Prime Minister Tony Blair stated in March 2005...

Quote: "There's probably no more pressing political challenge than to move this process forward because it has a relevance on the streets of Britain, on the streets of European countries as well as in the Middle East itself. It is probably the cause most used or abused by those who try to rally support for extremism and when we therefore make progress on this issue we are not merely enhancing the prospects for the people of Palestine, the people of Israel, we are also enhancing security of every one of the countries represented round this table today and the significance of that can be seen very clearly in the attempts by terrorist groups still to disrupt the process and progress that can be made.

...and today Tony Blair is at the very centre of the peace process. As the Scriptures state, the nations of the world have grappled with the issue of Jerusalem in a desperate bid to resolve the problem, but it has cut them to pieces. The issue of Jerusalem is at the heart of end time prophecy, and is mentioned in Zechariah 12:2-3, Zechariah 14:2 and Revelation 11:2. Why? In the eyes of the world this is purely a conflict over land, but there is a very real spiritual element behind it. Satan's goal is to prevent the return of Jesus Christ to Jerusalem - the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4), and prevent Him from establishing His Kingdom here on earth (Isaiah 9:6-7) as He promised. This is why Satan will have his own false Messiah installed in Jerusalem (Revelation 13:11), this is why he will set up his own world government system - his "kingdom" (Revelation 13:3), and this is why Satan will ultimately turn the armies of the Antichrist against the Lamb (Revelation 19:19). Satan already knows he has lost the war (Revelation 12:12-13), but he is seeking to bring as many people with him to the Lake of Fire as possible. That is what is behind today's news of the nations seeking to divide Jerusalem. Question is, who's side are you on? It's not about "Israeli" or "Palestinian", it's about Jesus Christ and that's why this website exists... Not to support Israel or the Palestinians, but to be a witness of the days that we are living in and to warn others of their need of salvation. 

Source Haaretz, International Herald Tribune